1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a color selection assisting method, an image processing method, a color selection assisting apparatus, an image processing apparatus, and a recording medium having a program recorded therein for determining a standard color, printing a color chart that has a plurality of color patches including neighboring colors of the standard color, and thereafter allowing an operator to select from the color chart at least one of the color patches, which has a color close to a designated color reproduced on a print.
2. Description of the Related Art
With significant advances in inkjet technology in recent years, it is becoming possible for inkjet printers to produce large color prints of high quality at high speeds. Inkjet printers are not only popular for private or home use, but also are widely used for public use or in commercial applications nowadays. Inkjet printers make it possible to print on POP (Point Of Purchase) posters, wall posters, large-size mediums such as outdoor advertisements and billboards, roll mediums, and thick hard mediums.
Since advertisement prints are expected to be effective to arouse consumers' motivation to buy advertised products through visual sensation, the finish of colors in such prints is of particular importance. Heretofore, there have been disclosed various color matching technologies, such as a method of generating an ICC (International Color Consortium) profile, a method of adjusting a spot color (hereinafter referred to as a “designated color”), etc., as print color managing means.
A method of adjusting a designated color includes making fine adjustments of the color of an area of interest in a color image in order to bring the color into substantial conformity with a designated color to be reproduced on a print, using color samples such as color chips, etc. More specifically, actual color values of a color sample and color values for reproducing the designated color with a printing machine are acquired, and a print color is corrected based on the difference between the acquired color values.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-134349 (paragraph [0009], FIG. 4) discloses a method of reading a color sample with a scanner device, printing a plurality of variations of the color sample generated from the read data, and selecting a particular color from the printed variations.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-217007 (paragraphs [0034] through [0036], FIGS. 4 and 5) discloses a method of setting a display device to display a designated color on a screen image (display window), visually observing a printed color chart, selecting a color closest to the designated color from color patches provided in twenty-seven colors, and entering a number of the selected color through the screen image. The patent publication states that it is possible to cause the designated color displayed on the display device and a color printed by a printing machine to strictly approximate to each other.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-351447 (paragraph [0004], FIGS. 1 and 2) discloses a system for selecting a desired color using in combination a display device and a printing machine. More specifically, a color wheel (a succession of colors) is displayed on a first screen image of the display device, thereby allowing the operator to select colors in general. Then, a window (discrete colors) is displayed on a second screen image of the display device, in order to allow the operator to select an accurate color based on a print produced by the printing machine.